Dungy skipper

The other day I put up a moth that was as pretty as a butterfly, which I now know was a Mint Moth pyrausta aurata - thanks to allan, lozarithm, saffi and dodge-y for help with the i.d.

Here is a butterfly that looks like a moth. I was going to say 'as drab as a moth' but I know too many moth enthusiasts who wouldn't let me get away with that!

It is a dingy skipper erynnis tages, but the chap who was also photographing butterflies at Badbury Rings this morning called it a 'dungy skipper'. Somehow the name has stuck.

You can tell moths from butterflies at close range because moths have feathery antennae and butterflies have 'clubbed' antennae. You can just about see that the antennae on this have little clubs on the ends.

Also this morning there were good numbers of early purple orchids growing in the open on the banks of this Iron Age hill fort.